“My lord, where are you going?” Toby bolted into the stable grabbing a saddle. “Let me saddle the horse for you and Lady Willow.”
“Toby, there’s no need. Now please keep an eye on my sister until our return.”
“But my lord, I became tired of sitting outside her chamber door, with her never emerging,” complained Toby. “I thought, perhaps, if Lady Hazel isn’t going to get out of bed, I might be able to grab a bite at least to eat and enjoy some of the activities.”
“Take an hour and no more. And then back to your post. I want someone here for her if she decides she’s feeling better and wants to join the celebration.”
“When will you return?” asked Toby, fidgeting with the saddle.
“I’ll return when I’m good and ready, now stop asking so many questions.”
“I’d like to know the answer to that, too,” Willow broke in. “After all, tonight is the only time I might have to mingle with the eligible noblemen. If I can’t talk to them and get to know them, how am I going to choose one to marry?”
“You’re not choosing any of them,” Conrad told her, directing the horse from the stable.
“I have the right to agree to whom I marry,” Willow reminded him. “It was the late queen’s wish and the command of King Edward on his deathbed as well.”
“If I must remind you; the man who wins the competition will choose you, and you can either say aye or nay. That is the extent of it.”
“But how am I going to know if I should agree to a marriage or not? I demand you turn this horse around and take me back to the bonfire. I want to talk to more of the noblemen who will be competing for my hand.”
“There’s no need for that,” said Conrad, heading over the drawbridge. They rode past the noisy crowd that laughed and conversed while the musicians strolled through the area playing music and some of them singing to whoever would listen. The jester entertained a group of children by doing tricks with a deck of cards. There were pitched tents boasting the coat of arms of many knights filling the entire area. This was where the travelers stayed who weren’t lucky enough to occupy a room in the castle. The bonfire glowed brightly from the center of the ring of tents. Willow wanted more than anything to stay and enjoy herself. However, Conrad took it upon himself to decide they should go for a ride instead. Of all times, why now?
“Sir Conrad, I don’t want to go riding in the dark. I want to stay at the festival. Now, please turn around and take me back to the castle. I need to talk to the competitors to decide which one I will marry.”
“I told you before, and I’ll tell you again. There is no need to worry your pretty little head about that.”
“Why not?” she asked, feeling as if she already knew the answer. “Is it because you believe I’m perceived as a strumpet and not one of the men will want me for his bride?”
“That’s not true. I don’t think you’re a strumpet. And don’t worry yourself with what the others will think of you since you won’t be marrying any of them.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“On the contrary, it is you who doesn’t understand.”
“Then why don’t you tell me what you mean?” Willow tired of this conversation.
“Let me remind you, I’m competing as well.”
“I know that. But what does it have to do with any of this?”
“I am going to win at least one of the competitions. And you, Lady Willow, will be my wife.”
“Your wife? Hah!” Willow spat out the words thinking the man had gone mad. “Why would you even think I’d consider marrying you, Conrad the Cur?”
“Don’t call me that.” His arm stiffened around her waist, and he rode faster, heading through the forest.
“Why are you doing this?” His actions, as well as his words, aggravated her more than she let on.
“It is a beautiful night, and I know how much you like sneaking out in the dark.”
“Not that. I mean why are you competing for my hand in marriage?”
“I need a wife.”
“There is always Lady Anabel or Lady Grace. Perhaps you can choose one of them instead.” She tried to get him to change his mind.
“They are too young.”
“They’re basically the same age as me,” she pointed out.
“You seem much older.” He directed the horse toward the secret garden. Even in the dark, Willow knew this route since she’d taken it with her cousins to see Imanie many times in the past.
“So you’re saying you think I’m too old for anyone to want to marry me?”
“Nay. I’m not saying that at all. I just meant . . . you are more mature.”
“Mature in what way? You’re not referring to me being a strumpet again are you?”
“Willow, what I mean is –”
“Because if you are, I’ll –”
“I am starting to have strong feelings for you,” he said, keeping her from finishing her sentence.
His words surprised her so much that she didn’t know how to respond. First, he said he wanted to marry her, and now he was admitting to having feelings for her. What could this mean? And did she feel the same way? She didn’t think so. But the more she thought about the kisses they’d shared, the more she wondered what it would be like to be his wife. Part of her wanted to get to know Conrad after all.
“You’re taking me to Imanie’s secret garden, aren’t you?” she asked, rather than having to respond to what he’d just told her.
“Aye.” Conrad gave a quick nod of his head. “You said you wanted to pay your respects to Imanie the other day. However, you left so fast that you didn’t get the chance.”
“I suppose so,” she answered, almost wishing he had said he was coming here because he wanted to spend time with her alone. Then again, what did it matter? They weren’t meant for each other, she reminded herself. To her, he’d always be the boy who pulled her braid and hid frogs in her bed. He would always be naught else but Conrad the Cur.
They entered the garden and stopped right inside the gate. The moon lit up the surroundings making everything seem so surreal. Imanie’s house sat lonely and empty across the garden. The stall that once held her horse was empty, too. At her death, the girls brought the horse to the castle and Morag claimed it.
Weeds choked out the flowers that came back year after year on their own. Where once this was a place of solitude and safety, now Willow felt as if it were naught more than a place for evil to lurk in the shadows. With Imanie gone, it seemed as if her years of mentoring were naught but a dream. She found her thoughts drifting back to the time when Imanie taught her that she was more than just a pretty face. She had skills and talent as well.
“You are a bright girl, and prettier than most women,” said Imanie.
“Do you really think so?” asked Willow.
“I’m sure you have made many noblemen feel good about themselves, just by being on their arm at a dance or festivity.”
“I don’t really care to dance, and don’t talk to men much unless they talk to me first.”
“Now, I know that is a lie. I’ve heard your cousins say how much you like the men. If you are going to try to trick me, you need to make it sound more convincing.”
“I’m not trying to trick you, and neither do I want to deceive anyone.”
“Of course not. But if you are going to be a member of the queen’s Followers of the Secret Heart, you might be required to do things you’ve never done before.”
“So, you’re saying I will need to lie?”
“Nay, I’m not saying that at all. But when the time comes to help your country or your fellow man, you will need to make a decision and stick with it. No matter what it might be.”
“Do you think I can really do that, Imanie?”
“I think you can accomplish whatever you set out to do. You have a way of saying things that make men – or anyone listen. I’ve heard you convince your cousins of doing many things in the past that they ha
d no intention of doing. It was easy for you. Embrace who you are, Willow. Don’t be afraid of it. Fear will only hurt you in the end.”
“I wish I could be brave, but I’m not sure I can.”
“Of course you can. But I must warn you. Always be sure to really want what you wish for because you might get it. And sometimes it isn’t at all what we’d hoped it would be.”
“I still don’t know how to use my skills for anything helpful or for a good purpose.”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
“But what if I don’t? What if there is something important I need to convince someone of and I can’t do it?”
“If it isn’t working, then use the element of surprise to catch them off guard. That always works.”
“Element of surprise,” she said, pondering the idea and wondering if it would really work.
“Lady Willow?”
Willow was dragged from her thoughts by Conrad’s voice from the ground. She looked down from the horse to see him with outstretched arms, waiting to help her dismount. The moonbeams gave a bluish cast to his dark, oaken hair that was almost black. Brown eyes reflected in the midnight sun, making him look devilishly handsome as well as dangerous. Somehow, getting her braid pulled by him didn’t seem so treacherous anymore. She was alone with a handsome man in a secluded garden at night. What if he tried to ravish her? Would she fight him? Or would she welcome his advances?
Holding out her arms, she felt his hands close around her waist as he helped her from the horse and slid her down his body to the ground. A delicious shiver of anticipation swept through her. When he looked down into her eyes, she found herself wanting to kiss him again. And when he reached out to touch her chin, she was sure he was going to press his lips against hers. Instead, he brushed his hand against her and dropped his hand to the side.
“You had a smudge on your face,” he told her, turning away quickly to look at the garden. “Now, where was that grave?”
Conrad knew precisely where Imanie’s grave was but needed an excuse to turn away from Willow before he did something he would regret. After touching her, he almost kissed her again. At the last minute, he pretended to be brushing away some dirt from her cheek instead. He needed to be careful when it came to Lady Willow. Lately, his feelings for her were getting stronger. He couldn’t believe he’d admitted he felt anything for her at all. And to his disappointment, she didn’t even seem to care. One kiss in a dark, secluded garden could tempt him to want to do so much more. He promised her father he’d keep her away from the men. He was sure that included him, too.
They made their way across the garden, his hand on the small of her back to guide her and keep her from tripping in the dark. The moonlight lit up their surroundings enough for them to see.
“It’s over here,” she told him, leading the way to Imanie’s grave. The wind picked up, swaying the branches of the trees overhead. The scent of rain suddenly made the air heavy.
“I think there’s a storm coming,” he said, perusing the sky. “Perhaps you’d better pay your respects quickly. We’d better leave before we’re caught in the rain.”
“I’m sure we have plenty of time yet,” she said in a carefree manner. “After we pay our respects, I’d like to show you something in the house.”
He glanced up at the sky again. A flash of lightning lit up the horizon. Thunder rumbled lowly in the distance. They didn’t have long before the storm approached.
They hadn’t been at Imanie’s grave for more than a minute when Willow’s head snapped up, and she grabbed hold of his arm.
“That’s good,” she announced. “This way, please.” She directed him to the cottage, holding tightly to his arm as they climbed the two small stairs leading up to the porch. “There is an oil lantern we can use, right inside the door.”
He followed her into the house, waiting while she lit the lamp. The firelight cast a soft orange glow in the one-room structure. Conrad looked around to see dusty furniture atop an old water stained, wooden floor. Besides the dust and musty aroma, the place looked as if someone still lived there. There were even dirty dishes still on the table.
“Willow, how long did you say Imanie’s been dead?”
“About a year now I suppose.” She walked over to a chest and opened a drawer and looked through it. There were clothes in it, and she held up one gown after another. “Imanie didn’t have any clothes worth wearing. However, she did have some nice jewelry.” She closed the drawer and opened another one.
“Why haven’t you or your cousins gone through her things by now and cleaned up the place? It doesn’t seem as if she has any living relatives to handle it.”
“She doesn’t. Or at least not that we know of.” She slammed closed the drawer and went over and opened a long cupboard that extended from the ceiling to the floor.
Conrad strolled over to the small table in the center of the room and picked up a plate. It had remains of dried food on it yet. “You could have at least cleared the table of the old woman’s last meal.”
“I suppose we should have. However, once Imanie was buried, none of us wanted to return here. You see, we really had no reason. And now that Fia has married and moved to Scotland, Maira and Morag think it’s too sad to spend time here. It was all I could do to convince them to accompany me here the other night.”
“Why were you here?”
“I wanted to get this to wear to the festival – the festival that you so rudely dragged me away from.” She held up her hand and showed him the bracelet and ring.
“You stole jewelry that didn’t belong to you so that you could catch the eye of a nobleman? How honorable of you,” he said sarcastically.
She scowled and held her hand over the bracelet, her guilty gaze falling to the ground. “You just said we should have gone through her things. And Imanie doesn’t have any living relatives, so what is the problem?”
It thundered again. The sound of raindrops on the roof told Conrad it was time to go.
“What did you need to show me?” he asked. “It’s starting to rain, and we need to leave.”
“I – I just guess I wanted to visit Imanie’s place once more.”
“Well, we can come back during the day and when it’s not storming.” He turned to leave, but her light touch on his arm caused him to stop and look back. “What is it?”
“Do we really have to go so soon?”
“You were the one who wanted to stay at the bonfire. I thought you’d be happy to know we’re heading back to the festival.”
“But there’s no need to hurry anymore. Now that it’s raining, the bonfire will be canceled.”
“Aye, I suppose it will. Still, if we leave now, we hopefully won’t get soaked to the skin.”
“Conrad. What was the reason you brought me here in the first place?”
He hesitated to answer. How could he tell her he did it to get her away from the rest of the noblemen because he was green with envy every time she smiled at them, or they kissed her hand? Thinking of her marrying one of them made him even more determined to win the competitions so he could stop this from happening. He’d made Rook a promise to protect his daughter, and that is what he was doing.
“It’s my job to keep you away from the other men,” he admitted, not knowing what else to say.
“There’s more to it than that, I know there is. I can see it in your eyes.”
“Nay, there isn’t.”
“Why did you join the competition and say you wanted to marry me?”
“I didn’t say that.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and stared at the ground.
“Aye, you did.”
“Well, what I meant was –”
He never finished his sentence. Willow stood on her tiptoes and pressed her full lips against his in a sensuous kiss. It was so passionate that when she broke the connection, he almost stumbled backward.
“God’s eyes,” he said, touching his hand to his mouth. “You have one hell o
f a kiss, Willow. Why did you do that?”
“I don’t know,” she said, pulling back a bit. “I suppose I was just trying to use the element of surprise on you.”
“I’ll say.”
“What’s the matter, Conrad?” She looked up at him and batted her thick, black lashes. Her big, brown eyes drew him in. “Didn’t you like it?”
Like it? It made him randy, and that was the trouble. He was supposed to be protecting the girl from men and, instead, he wanted nothing more than to throw her down on the bed and make sweet love to her. His mind filled with erotic thoughts that only caused him to harden below his belt. Unfortunately, she noticed.
“I see you did like it after all.” She giggled and held her hand to her mouth. Thunder boomed so near and loud that it scared her and made her jump. Her crown fell from her head in the process and landed on the floor. She ended up in his arms clinging to him with her head against his chest. “I’m frightened, Conrad,” she told him with a quaver of her voice.
Suddenly, the past all came crashing back into his memories. He felt as if she were that same frightened girl of so many years ago, but now in an adult body. He’d been the one to scare and anger her while growing up. But now it was his duty to protect her from boys who turned into men like him.
“It’s all right,” he told her in a calming voice, rubbing his hand up and down her back. It was almost as if he felt he needed to make up for all the wrong he did in the past that caused her to hate him. “I’m sorry, Willow.”
She looked up in question, still clinging to him as if her life depended on it. “What are you apologizing for?”
“For all the times I teased you when we were children. I never meant to hurt you. What can I do to make up for it?”
Another crash of thunder sounded, followed by the crack of wood and a branch falling from a tree in the secret garden. His horse whinnied. Then he heard the sound of hoofbeats against the damp earth.
“Damn,” he cursed, letting go of Willow and running to the entrance. He threw the door open only to see the tail of his horse as it disappeared through the gate of the secret garden. The rain came down in a torrential downpour, already causing deep puddles on the earth. “That last bolt of lightning took down a branch. Between that and the crash of thunder, it spooked the horse. I should have tied her up. I’m going after her.”
Seductive Secrets (Secrets of the Heart Series Book 2) Page 9